KALAMAZOO, MI --The following is a letter penned by Zaiga Thorson, the daughter of Alfred Minka, 88, to mark the one-year anniversary of her father's murder inside his Kalamazoo home:

It has been a year now, since you brutally murdered my 88-year-old father, Alfred Minka. A man, who was just about to get through the first year of mourning the loss of his wife. A man, who faithfully and tirelessly, took care of her, for many, many years. A man who raised four children and adored his seven grandchildren and two great-grandsons. A proud, hard-working man, who had more character in his little finger, than you possess in your entire wretched body.

Do you really think you will get away with this? You will not. You absolutely, will not. And this is why.

Our family has complete faith in the Kalamazoo police department and the prosecutor's office that they are working to put you behind bars. They continue to watch you, to track you, to collect evidence, to build a strong case against you. They will knock on your door one day, and you will be arrested.

The whole world will know what you did. You will have a long time to sit in jail and think about it.

But it goes beyond what the police and prosecutor's office will do. It is what Alfred Minka's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will do. We will not rest.

Because you see, we are our father's children.

My parents fled the encroaching Soviet empire after World War II. My father was a soldier and a prisoner of war. He lived in a displaced person's camp. He immigrated to this country with nothing but the clothes on his back and built a life. A good life. He worked hard, in factories, to support his family. He took overtime shifts, whenever he could. He never, ever asked anyone for a handout. He was too proud. He had integrity.

Do you even know what those words character and integrity mean?

My father volunteered countless hours, particularly within the Latvian community. He helped many who had to leave behind their entire families due to war. He worked diligently along with thousands of other Latvian immigrants, to do what they could from afar, to see their homeland free again. And after more than 40 years, it happened in 1991, due in part, to their vision, tenacity and perseverance.

Do you know anything of vision, tenacity or perseverance?

Both of my parents emphasized education. They raised a lawyer, a businessman, an art professor and a sales representative. Perhaps it is not so important what we do, but the skills we have developed to get things done. With our varied and eclectic backgrounds, we will be sure to work, like my father did, to get things done.

We will work to see that justice is served.

We have an incredible network of people that are willing to help us with this, in any way possible. That network spreads from Kalamazoo, across the country and even across the ocean. And there will be others we may not even know yet, who will join us.

Because people are sick and tired of piranhas like you, particularly when you prey on innocent children and the elderly. You are the lowest of the low.

Despite your evil act and the countless others I hear of on the evening news, I truly believe, there is more good than evil in the world. And when people rally together to do good — to do the right thing — it is an amazing force.

I can promise you this: while you continue to look over your shoulder, when your heart starts pounding along with the sounds of a police siren, wondering if they are coming for you, I will work to help others who are suffering the loss of a loved one, due to someone like you.

Because I refuse to be another one of your victims.

Perhaps someone that knows you will finally decide to do the right thing. Perhaps they have become weary of looking over their shoulder, exhausted from the sleepless nights, drained of any real joy in life because they live in constant fear. Is it fear of you? Is it fear that they too, may spend time behind bars as your accomplice? Or maybe they are just plain tired of having to tow your baggage of mental illness, addiction or whatever pathetic excuse you use for committing such a heinous crime.

Maybe they are just finally ready – ready to be free of you.

I will not rest. I will not go away. I will do what I can, to help others. I will be tenacious and I will persevere along with an army of family, friends and others who have had enough of the likes of you.